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(No Model.)

A. B. ENNS. PRUNB HARVESTHR.

Patented Mar. 2,1897.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

ABRAHAM B. ENNS, OF DALLAS, OREGON, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE MOGOWVAN AND ARCHIE MCGOVVAN, OF SAME PLACE.

PRUNE-HAR'VESTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 578,290, dated March 2, 1897. Application filed June 6, 1896. Serial No. 594,609. (No modeh) To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ABRAHAM B. ENNS; a

citizen of the United States, residing at Dallas, in the county of Polk and State of Oregon, have invented a new and useful Prune-Harvester, of which the following is a specification.

The purpose of this invention is to devise means to facilitate the gathering of prunes and prevent the same from falling upon the ground when harvesting, thereby enabling a person to materially increase the quantity generally gathered in a given time and with less exertion.

For a full understanding of the merits and advantages of the invention reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings and the following description.

The improvement is susceptible of various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof, and to a full disclosure of the invention an adaption thereof is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pruneharvester for attaining the objects of this invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the front portion of the harvester, the latter being inverted. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the base of the receiving-funnel.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and designated in the views of the drawings hereto attached by the same reference-characters.

The harvester comprises, essentially, a truck and a funnel or flaring receiver, the latter being mounted upon the truck, so as to be easily transported from one tree to another or from place to place as required.

The truck is composed of longitudinal bars 1, a cross-piece 2, connecting the bars intermediate of their ends, and a ground-wheel 3,

the latter being mounted upon an axle whichis secured at its ends in the longitudinal bars forward of the cross-piece 2. The rear ends of the longitudinal bars are shaped to form handles after the fashion of a hand-barrow, and the longitudinal bars converge toward their front ends, so that the truck may have a minimum width.

The funnel or flaring receiver consists of a metal base 4 and a body portion 5, of canvas, cotton, or other textilexfabric. The base 4 is circular in outline and is secured to the front ends of the longitudinal bars and is provided at intervals around its edge with a series of sockets 6, which incline upwardly and outwardly to correspond with the flare of the body. A slot 7 extends inward from the front edge of the metal base and is of sufficient width to provide for the ingress of a tree of the largest size when applying the harvester thereto. This slot or passage 7 comes between the front terminal portions of the 1011- gitudinal bars and extends to the rear of the center. A series of rods 8 have their lower ends fitted into the sockets 6 and form props or ribs to strengthen and support the body 5. The front sockets adjacent to the slot or passage 7 extend parallel with the edges of the slot, whereby the rods fitted therein extend in parallelism and are spaced apart a distance corresponding to the width of the slot or passage 7, whereby provision is had for the entrance of the tree into the funnel or receiver.

The textile fabric forming the body of the receiver is circular and has a portion cut therefrom at one side, and the edge portions bordering upon the opening thus provided are adapted to be secured to the forward rods 8 in any desired manner, and, as shown, these edges have rings at intervals in their length through which the front rods are passed. The edges of the part 5 are secured in any desired manner to the upper ends of the rods 8, preferably by means of short straps which are buckled to rings secured to the ends of the said rods. This construction admits of the fabric portion of the body being removed from the frame, the latter being formed by the rods 8 and the metal base 4. In order to close the gap in the front end or portion of the receiver, a flap 9 is provided and is secured to a rod 8 at one side of the passage and is adapted to be fastened in any convenient way to the rod at the other side of the passage. This flap may be either of metal or textile fabric or a combination of the two.

As previously intimated, the flap or passage 7 in the metal base is of sufficient Width to receive the largest trees, and in order to secure a close fit at the inner end of the passage with a tree of less diameter than the width of the passage, so as to form a lock and at the same time prevent the escape of the prunes, a plate 10 is slidably mounted betweenthe metal base and the front ends of the longitudinal bars and has a notch 11 in its front edge of awidth corresponding to the width of the passage, and by moving this plate to one side or the other the innerend of the passage 7 will be contracted in width corresponding to the diameter of the tree. A lever 12 is fulcrumed to one of the longitudinal bars and has pivotal connection with the adjacent terminal of the plate 10 and extends within convenient reach to be operated for actuating the said plate 10. The outer or rearportion of the lever 12 operates through a keeper 13, which limits its movements and holds it in working relation.

A pole or rod 14 is provided to reach the limbs of'the tree to shake the same to dislodge the prunes, which latter are collected by means of the receiver. This pole or rod is held in keepers 15 in such a way as to be removably connected therewith when required for use.

The device being assembled and in condition for use is advanced to a tree by grasping the handles of the truck and moving the latter upon the ground-wheel 3, the flap 9 opening to permit the tree to enter the receiver and occupy approximately a central position, whereby the receiver projects to an equal distance from all sides of the tree. The flap is closed to prevent the escape of the prunes, and a box or receptacle is placed beneath the front end of the metal base and receives the prunes as the latter roll down the inclined sides of the receiver and pass through the open portion of the slot 7. It must be remembered that the ground-wheel is of sufficient diameter to support the receiver at a proper elevation from the ground, so that a box or receptacle can be placed under the receiver to gather the prunes as the latter are shaken from the tree. When not required for use, the rods 8 can be detached, as also the body or textile fabric, thereby admit-ting of the device being reduced to a compact form for storing or trans porting.

What I claim is 1. In a prune-harvester, the combination of a base provided at intervals with a series of sockets which incline upwardly and out wardly, a series of rods having their lower ends detachably fitted within the said sockets, and a textile fabric conforming to the flare of the rods and removably connected at its upper end therewith, substantially as set forth.

2. In a prune-harvester, the combination of a base having an inwardly-extending passage and provided with a circular series of sockets inclining upwardly and outwardly, a series of rods removably fitted within the sockets, a textile fabric conforming to the flare of the rods and having detachable connection at its .upper end with the outer extremities of the said rods, and formed in a side with a passage corresponding to the passage of the base, and a flap for closing the said passage of the flaring body, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The herein-described prune-harvester, comprising longitudinal ,bars connected near their rear ends and mounted intermediate of their ends upon a ground-wheel, a base secured to and connecting the front ends of the longitudinal bars and having an inwardly-extending passage, and provided with a circular series of sockets which incline upwardly and outwardly, rods removably fitted to the'said sockets, a textile fabric conforming to the flare of the rods and secured thereto at its upper end, and having a passage in register with the passage of the base,-a flap for closing the opening in the flaring body, and a plate slidably mounted with respect to the base and having a notch to register with the passage therein to secure a snug fit between the base and the tree to which the device is applied, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ABRAHAM B. ENNS.

Witnesses:

H. O. EAKIN, BLANCHE EAKIN. 

